I was almost in tears as I read about the mother with the "slightly
underweight" toddler who is being forced to wean. My second child & only
daughter also had many food allergies and was surviving almost entirely on
breast milk at this age. She was also very blonde, as all my children are,
and probably looked pale, and was always near the bottom of the growth
charts. And she would not be out of my sight and in fact would not even stay
with her father (I think she saw me as her only reliable food supply!). She
weaned at 4 and 1/2.

I can't imagine what would have happened if we had been forced to wean.
She's always been a very high needs, intense kid, and weaning her would have
been a disaster. What unnecessary suffering they are trying to impose on
this mother and child.

My daughter is 19 now. She was diagnosed at 18 as celiac - the doctor noted
that she'd had few symptoms because she figured out what foods bothered her
and simply avoided eating them. She's still small, but she's an inch taller
than I am! She's also extremely confident, bright and independent. I
attribute all that to her long-term, happy breastfeeding relationship.

If you can give that mother any support and encouragement, it would be the
best gift she and her child could ever receive.

Teresa Pitman (LLL Leader)